Three Bowls - (Near Hackney, South East)

5 /5 YUHAN TIAN: We came here for some authentic Hainanese food and overall it was a great experience. The sharing platter was good — although it says for 3–4 people, it’s really just right for three. If you want a more satisfying meal, it’s worth ordering a few extra dishes. We added half a portion of white-cut chicken, which was excellent — very smooth and tender with perfectly crisp skin, showing great control of the cooking time. It would be even better if the broth and surface were cleaned a little more thoroughly. The mixed rice noodles were delicious, and the green glutinous rice balls with coconut filling were a pleasant surprise — chewy and fragrant. The fried shrimp and chive cakes were tasty too, just a bit oily. The place is very popular, so expect a queue, and sometimes you might be asked to change tables or share with others. But overall, the food quality makes it worth it.

5 /5 Kingma Ma: We had really delicious ‘home cooked’ Chinese food here. The food was made completely fresh, really flavoursome and not oily at all. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the menu is superb - there’s a rich variety of both veggie and meat dishes to order. Has become one of our favourite ‘authentic’ Chinese restaurants in London!

3 /5 Dhanushree P: I’m really sad to give this place a bad review, but my partner and I did not have a good experience at all. We got sat in a corner table which was practically inaccessible by the servers, which is okay because it was busy so we didn’t think anything about it. But after being seated we waited and waited, we weren’t given the menus or water for at least 20 mins. People who came after us were given water, menus and had their order taken. When the server came with the menu, we told him we already know what we want, but he went back to retrieve a notepad and water - and again we waited 10+ mins before my partner went to ask for water. Once we ordered, our plates were passed over the next table, interrupting the people dining next to us every time. The food was decent, nothing special for the £44 pounds we paid. But the mango coconut drink was good. After dining we again waited for 15+ mins for our bill to come. The service is really slow it kinda ruined my dining experience. I won’t be going back.

1 /5 SIA McMillan: One star is far too kind. Chilli sauce left wide open, complete with a fly — food safety clearly optional. The lone server ignored us from start to finish: no greeting, no menus, just us doing it all ourselves. When they finally appeared, it was only to spill sauce into our plates and lecture us on spoon usage. One dish took half an hour, with nothing more than a shrug and “we’ll make it now.” The place doubled as a karaoke lounge — flashing lights, shouting, singing — while the server pretended not to notice. Refuse the service charge, and suddenly they’re deaf. The chef’s attitude was acceptable, but the restaurant is obviously understaffed, and with service like this, the one server might as well not exist. A night so dreadful it’s almost impressive.